Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-03-11

mookery, that the voices were Du'
empty sounds. That was tho year 1888,
and the Bastille had not yet fallen; Pitt
himself scarce gave heed to the I'll.
mors. Why. then, should |, a student.
forseo beneath this wealth OF loyalism
rising power that would crush ane
kill both the LADDERS and the laudedp
$50 began my studies Mt the uni
versity. Making few friends, retiring
to my lonely rooms at night with my
books, | had little opportunity for not.
ing the changes that spread so rapidly
over the political and even the private
life of the country. Yet the first com.
ings of the approaching storm did not
entirely escape me. One day student.
who had frequently made overtures Of
friendship, CHANGED to talk with me in
the library of the university | was
handling some old foios of the fathers
and noting the opinions of the greaI
French theological thinkers. when,
pulling mo by the arm, he sa d: NV
friend, why waste your timer Do you
know that Frcnchmen no longer be.
lieve in such books rs theseP | stared
at the speaker, and the volume fell
from my hand as he poured his insid
OTIS words into my ears. Then, fol
very shame. | quilted the building and
retired to my own rooms. ! pictured
to myself the old home, with the VII
liage church, where purity and belief
went hand in hand, and | shuddered
lest rumor of that which hae heard
should ever enter that quiet commune
ty. But, thank God. my own life was
never tainted with their words; my ears
refused to receive their mockery and
their blasphemy.
"The student who had so advised ne
came to my rooms one evening with an
invitation TO his club to hear q great
speaker. Though | was no friend OF
the boy, my curiosity led me to accom-
pany him, that ! might assure myself
that the pretended agitation was but
the work OF few fauat cs. | entered
the hall. 1t was crowded with some
hundreds of students and workers aud
rasoals, the last apparently drawn from
the worst slums of Paris. A man from
the platform. with fervd Grafton, adj
vised the determination of king and
mobiles His words were ut times drown
ed, by the storm of applause they occa
stoned. / learned afterward that the
man who spoke was Jean Paul Marat,
and that there were many such clubs
rs the one l had that night attended.
The fanatics then were many; in 4
short time we were able to say that
they were majority in the city.
From that date the tide of revolu.
ton flowed fast In the succeeding
year the Basto fell, and France, nav
Ia rot lin of
despot SIN and darkness the prisoners
were retired to the light of day. | was
before the gates as the mob of women
and of men perpetrated that wonderful
and surprising deed, and never did
witness multitude that displayed such
n vivid resolution and such united ac-
ton. But glance at the mass Of
upturned and repulsive faces showed
tho danger of triiling with people who
regarded no sacr.i flee of human life too
great for the accomplishment of their
purpose.
at was shortly after such an event
that, walking with II fellow-student
near the palace of Versailles. carriage
passed us on the road to Paris. The
vehicle was occupied by an aged man
and girl. who must have been but 20
years old. 1t was in the springtimc,
and the woods were white with BIOS
SONS. and the cottages filed with the
scent of the May flowers; and as the
carriage came slowly along the hard
road from q chateau that stood upon !,
neighboring hill, 1 felt that one occu-
pant OF it at least was worthy OF the
| glor Gus picture that nature unfolded
around us. All, Marie. how can | find
words to speak of you9 Grandson, it
is enough to say that since that hour
her face has been before me day and
IL ght, sleeping and waking, in prosper
ity or misfortune. Everywhere | look
| see those eyes of hers speaking to
me, those hands lifted in pleading, her
| lips moving as she bids Inc TO her side,
and can not st!r,'
The voice OF the old man sank low,
the veins of his forehead swelled, he
stretched out his arms. then for u mo-
ment was silent, and his heavy breath
ing and stiiled sobs alone Were heard
in the room After n time, becoming
somewhat more calm, he continued:
My compan on, IN answer to my
question, told me that he was the Bar
on Jendavi, and that the girl was Marie
his daughter. | followed the carriage
with my eyes until cloud of dus
alone marked its progress along the
road; then, with little ceremony to my
fl end, l turned back and walked
straight to Paris.
ut was only when was alone in my
rooms that | asked myself viva
prompted this strange action. l hat
seen but for few moments face by
the roadside, vet | believed that no
one atom of the beauty of it had ESCAPED
me. In that short walk had created
to myself an ideal in Il world of fancy
which ere this my Imagination hat
never penetrated. Before. | was thu
scholar; life was for me in the mass o
yolumns that lined the walls of m,
rooms and of the Libraries, among tn,
thoughts and the researches of thos,
who had left to their fellowmen an i'm
perishable record of the labor for tn,
good and the elevation of mankind. |
had looked INTO the future. it was witt
the hope that | should then find mvsel
striving to follow the example of thcs
great men, perhaps winning some o
the rewards that fall to the successful
in career of letters. But such mat
tiers as home life or wife or ehildrcI
had never caused me moment
thought The change in me, then wa
sudden and startling. As the seen
that delights us one moment is forgot
ten in the beauty of the one that re
places it, so did my ambition fall u